Saturday, February 27 & Sunday, February 28

About this site:In 1993, I spent the year writing in a blank datebook from 1954. Now, in 2010, I'm posting each page on the web and writing about it. You may want to start at the beginning.

Saturday
This is the start of the last week of rehearsals before West Side Story goes live -- our first run-throughs with microphones on the leads. Later in the week we'd do full dress rehearsals with each cast, and then do one or two shows a day the latter half of the week. In honor of each cast, I drew the symbols for each gang.

My friend Wil turned 18 on Saturday, and noted the duality of being an "adult" in high school; the down side took on importance for him later in the year, when he dated a sophomore. I like Christian's bit of rhyme, too.

Sunday
My friend Mike P. demonstrates how well he could sign his dad's signature -- something many a high schooler practiced. (Need I explain why?) I wonder if he can still do that.

The secret writing:

I had a really weird dream last night. I was visiting a college with a bunch of people I know, including Gaby and Pat Olson among others. We were on a tour of the school. For some reason, we went through a tunnel to a huge pit -- like a quarry. We were on a ten foot wide ledge around the edge. Once we reached the opposite side from where we came in, we stopped and the tour was over. The whole time, Gaby had been holding onto my arm for fear of falling, but at this point she buried herself in my chest. I began to hug her tightly and kissing her on the forehead, and she looked up and we kissed. She suddenly opened her eyes and said "woah!" Hmmmm.....

Uh, yeah.

I thought the little flower sketch was just some doodle, but as I was scanning in the next couple months of 1954, I noticed it pops up again on another page, in April. Not sure who drew it, but apparently it was a bit of a signature.